The Smile of Hope
by adrenalineguts
Summary: AU: Kili partakes in Thorin's quest to reclaim Erebor. For the young dwarf, this is the adventure he has always dreamed. However, there is a sudden addition to his adventure: a shy young dwarrowdam with the ability to foresee things to come. Kili/OC
1. A Children's Story

**Hey, guys! This is my second fanfic that I've written. I just absolutely love the Hobbit and I thought, "Why not start a Kili fic?" So that's what I'm doing. Throughout this story, I will be using both the BOOK and MOVIE. I feel like there are important parts in the book that I want to touch on, but I also like some parts in the movies. I hope you enjoy it :)**

**I DO NOT OWN ANY OF TOLKIEN'S CREATIONS NOR DO I OWN THE SCENES/SCRIPT OF THE WARNER BROS. MOVIE.**

**I DO OWN MY OC CHARACTER AND HER STORY.**

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><p>The halls within the palace under the mountain were filled with sumptuous sounds and sights. The grand dwarven kingdom of Erebor flourished with the opulent music of harps, flutes, and drums, as well as the excited, elated chatter amongst the people surrounding the large, elongated table. The stone walls were lit by blazing candelabras, illuminating the ancient carvings made by dwarf hands; gems and gold set into the walls were flashing with beauty. Along the walls were hand crafted vases, baked in dwarf fires and hand painted carefully with the stories of battles old and legends true. Each vase contained bright, colorful flowers that were growing alongside the mountain, flowers that had finally broke through the ground and into the fresh air sixteen years ago.<p>

Apart from the sounds and sights was the enticing smell from the table. Food, spread as far the eye could see, decorated the oak table. Buttered rolls, boiled potatoes, a crown of ribs, aged cheeses, cakes and pies, a roasted pig, beef and carrot stews, ripe fruit, smoked fish, pitchers of ale and wine all grasped in hungry hands. The sight of the food could make any person in the room -dwarf, human, or elf- succumb to the heavenly sight of the grand feast; no one could resist a nibble.

Not even the three mischievous dwarf princes, who were crawling under the table, could resist.

The eldest of the three, the one named after his father's brother, waved a hand over to beckon his brothers closer to a part of the table where powdered biscuits lay above. They crawled on their forearms and knees, careful of the feet in front of them. The brother with ebony hair, named after his great-uncle, accidentally butted his head against the leg of a she-elf, his head momentarily disappearing under the satin of her skirts. He pulled away with a bright red face from embarrassment and the sight he had encountered; his two brothers playfully snickered in front of him.

The elder brother came to a stop and pointed to the middle brother, this one named after their mother's father, and then pointed to the feet belonging to a dwarf lord and up to the table. The middle brother nodded, watching as his older brother jammed his elbow into the dwarf's foot. Above, the dwarf lord yelped in pain, and with a startled and angry look, turned to the human beside him.

"What was that for, ye' bugger?" The dwarf bellowed.

The man's eyebrow twitched and looked down at his neighbor. "I beg your pardon?"

"Ye' stepped on m'foot!"

"I did no such thing-" The man was cut off as the dwarf retorted, "Well, ye' did!"

Through the angry exchange, the middle brother slipped between the two's legs and let his arms stealthily slip onto the table and grasp the plate of biscuits. He pulled it off the table just as he kicked his body off the ground and bolted out, his brothers quickly following suit. They could still hear the bickering between the man and dwarf as they carried the pastries to the balcony opposite the table. They settled behind a thick red velvet curtain, cheering and slapping each other's back at their achievement.

"Dig in, boys!" The eldest grinned as he rubbed his hands together.

The second eldest picked up a biscuit, eagerness overtaking him as he brought it up to his lips. However, a gruff yet kindly voice had spoken from behind, jolting the boy into the air and he dropped the pastry.

"I think you'll spoil your dinner," he said, gray robes flowing behind him as he pushed aside the balcony curtain. "That, or upset your mother. She has been looking for you."

The youngest groaned. "How did you find us, Gandalf?"

The man only chuckled and tapped the side of his nose. "A wizard never reveals his secrets."

"Can't we have just _one_ biscuit?" The eldest pleaded, stomach rumbling.

Gandalf simply shook his head, sighing. He waved off the plea and sat down on the stone bench, putting his staff aside. The sun was setting, casting brilliant hues of pink, orange, and purple across the sky. There wasn't a cloud staining the atmosphere, and only a few stares had decided to peek out.

"Do you suppose you could light a few fireworks for us?" The second eldest asked. The wizard pulled out the pipe from his pocket and lit the tobacco with a snap of his fingers. "Dear me, no. And ruin the whole show I have planned later tonight?" He spoke around his pipe. "You will all just have to wait."

The boys all groaned, all simultaneously flopping onto their backs with great sighs. Gandalf merely rolled his eyes. For princes, they acted more like lazy, impatient humans. But, after all, they were only children Gandalf reminded himself.

"Will a story help pass the time?" The wizard suggested.

They seemed to perk up quickly at the sound of that, and soon enough they were scooting themselves closer at Gandalf's feet. He blew smoke from his mouth into perfect o's, looking down at the young dwarves with mild amusement.

"Can you tell us the rebirth of Erebor again?" The youngest asked, his blue eyes widening. "That's my favorite one!"

His brothers hummed in agreement, looking to the wizard with hope as he stroked his beard in contemplation. After blowing out another lungful of smoke through his nose, he was struck with an idea.

"Perhaps I tell you the story of your mother and father?"

The eldest grimaced. "You don't mean a love story, do you?"

The wizard simply smiled. "What makes you believe that a story involving your parents is that of love?" The boys gave Gandalf a pointed look. "Well, it is in a way, but don't worry, for there is still the spirit of adventure and bravery. And don't you wish to know how they came to be?"

The youngest shrugged. "Father says that they eloped after the Great Battle."

"That they did," Gandalf nodded then paused for a moment in thought. "Perhaps I haven't told you the full story of the dwarves taking back the kingdom."

The boys gaped and widened their eyes. "The full story? I thought you told us everything!"

"Well, are you aware that your mother played an important part in the company of Thorin Oakenshield?"

"What?" "How important was she?" "What do you mean?"

He chuckled. "Though she proved herself till the end, she had aided the company in her own, simple ways. This is how your father came to love her."

"Well, are ya' goin' to tell us or leave us impatient?" The middle boy sighed with exasperation.

"Now, now," Gandalf waved his hand. "Like all good stories, we must start from the very beginning."

Gandalf shifted his gaze over each of the three princes, waiting for the young brothers to get comfortable on the balcony floor and to give the wizard their undivided attention.

"Now," Gandalf puffed his pipe in thought, exhaling the smoke through his nostrils. "Long ago, about two hundred years before, I believe, the kingdom of Erebor was a grand place, ruled by your bloodline of Durin. The king under the mountain, at the time, was Thrain. The dwarves were-and still are- a proud people, made up miners and great warriors who-"

"We _already_ know this, Gandalf," the eldest groaned.

The wizard cocked a brow. "I don't recall you telling the story."

"Sorry..."

"I suppose I should start from the decades after the fearsome dragon Smaug had claimed the Lonely Mountain, in order for you three to stop interrupting me," he mused with a great sigh.

With another slow draw from his pipe, Gandalf resumed his story-telling.

"Two hundred years later, after Dale had been burned from dragon fire, the dwarves flushed from their homeland, and the battles that had come after with the orcs, peace had finally settled over Middle Earth. The elves of Mirkwood and Rivendell kept to themselves, as did the dwarves of the Iron Hills and Blue Mountains while they found work and a new life to replace the one that they had sadly lost. Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror, saw to it that his subjects lived a comfortable life."

"The legends that had been passed around Middle Earth about the Line of Durin and the Lonely Mountain had died away, a prophecy that had spoken of the King under the Mountain returning to reclaim his homeland, along with the treasure inside. Many had forgotten nor wanted to hear of it, believing that it had already caused great heartache and disappointment. However, Thorin's father, Thrain, passed on a piece of the legend for me to keep until the time would come for me to meet the dwarf prince. And as time had passed, I had eventually sought out Thorin Oakenshield, telling him that it was time to reclaim his throne and to restore the order and prosperity Erebor had once possessed. He called upon the dwarves, his cousins and dearest friends in battle and heart, for aid to reclaim their homeland, yet only thirteen had agreed to aid their king while most had thought the journey to be mad or reckless."

The youngest prince couldn't help but interrupt, though Gandalf didn't mind the silly question, understanding that the young boy was only curious and amazed. "And father was one of the thirteen?"

Gandalf, again, nodded. "One of the thirteen, yes. He was a fine lad; brave and true, selfless. Especially towards those he truly cared for. However, in order to infiltrate the mountain, the company required a person of stealth and who moved much like a mouse without being noticed. Which is why I had thought of a hobbit from the line of Took."

"Bilbo Baggins!" One of the brothers said.

"Yes, Bilbo Baggins. And so, Master Baggins had joined the company. The poor hobbit nearly died from a heart attack when the dwarves had raided his pantry and tossed his mother's china about the dining room and kitchen. Although, many of us were sure that Bilbo had lost some years upon reading the contract for the journey. Poor lad fainted at the thought of incineration and a fire-breathing dragon. Yet, he joined the company despite his hesitation. Master Baggins looked up to your father as he him..."

Gandalf trailed off in his thoughts, blowing smoke up into the air as it trailed through the balcony and into the last light of the day. It was carried along the light wind, over the tops of the evergreens in the direction of the west. The wizard let his eyes wander over to the tops of the Misty Mountains, where he knew that off in the distance were the rolling green hills of the Shire that he liked so very much. The memory of Bilbo Baggins running up past the border of Hobbiton to meet Thorin's company made his lips turn up fondly, but it was not so much the memory of the hobbit joining the quest, as much as it was the young dwarf prince who had an eager heart set on reclaiming the mountain of his kin.

As he recalled, the young dwarf had a twinkle in his dark eyes, a strong smirk as well as ambition, and was as naive as most dwarflings were despite his age of seventy-seven. However, the same could be said for his older brother, although slightly less naive and with a better sense of responsibility. But nothing could squander the spirit that the young dwarf had; it only seemed to brighten when the final member had joined the thirteen dwarves and their burglar...

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><p><em><strong>Sixteen years earlier...<strong>_

The dusk was one of her favorite times of the day, when the Sun met the Moon and the air turned crisp and wonderful. The young dwarrowdam looked forward to watching the stars every night as she, her uncle and their caravan would make camp. For decades, this is what kept her at peace, through the stress of trading, of wandering the expanse between Ered Luin and the Misty Mountains.

"We'll camp here tonight," called her uncle as he stopped the wagon. The caravan came to a halt on the grassy land where a ravine was. The sound of a river rushing below welcomed them.

His niece hopped off, dark hair swinging down her back as she pulled the wooden blocks from the wagon and kicked them in under the wheels to keep it from rolling away. The other dwarves hopped off their ponies and began to pull out pots and pans and provisions for that night's supper. The young girl helped start a fire with one of her uncle's closest friends, whom she considered one of her uncles as well.

"Essie!" One of the dwarves called. "Help me with this soup, will you?"

She stopped tending to the fire and helped cut the potatoes that they had just traded a few rolls of fabric for when they had come from the Greenfields in the Shire. Gimdar, a heavy and cheery old dwarf, poured some water from one of the barrels into a small cauldron and threw in the bones of last night's veal. She watched the dwarf with a twinkle in her eye as she chopped the vegetables they had; it seemed that tonight they would have to make do with a vegetable soup. Her uncle would have a fit with the lack of meat, but the old dwarf would cheer up soon. He always did.

"What a lovely sunset," she sighed, pouring the potatoes and carrots into the cauldron and gazing up at the orange and pink hues of the sky.

"Yes," Gimdar smiled. "Very lovely, indeed."

She left Gimdar to finish the soup and helped one of the other dwarves, Bondor, feed the ponies. She fetched a small bucket of oats from the wagon and walked to the three ponies who neighed quietly. There was a beautiful chocolate pony, whom she named Bernard, swishing his tail about and whinnied. She fed him from the bucket, stroking his head and talking quietly to him. The dwarrodam had a way with the animals, calming them and letting them know that she was a friend instead of a foe. From behind, a small, quick shout from Gimdar caught her attention. She turned around to see him holding his hand, shaking off whatever pain he inflicted.

"Oh, what happened, Gimdar?" She asked, setting the bucket back in the wagon and walking over to the fire.

"Don't worry, Essie," he sighed with a slight frown. "Just a burn, 'm afraid."

She shook her head and tutted, taking his hand to examine it; a small but harsh burn reddened his hand. She set two fingers over it gently and concentrated for a moment, a faint golden glow emitting from her fingertips. After a moment, she pulled away and the skin of Gimdar's hand looked as if nothing had happened.

The old dwarf smile and looked at his hand. "Thank you, lass. Now, if you could fetch the bowls for me; supper is almost ready."

She nodded and ran to the other wagon that Bondor rode on to do what the cook asked. At the wagon was where her uncle was, sorting through a list of materials that he tried to organize. The old dwarf, with his once golden hair going white, scratched his head and sighed; he never was very good at making lists and schedules.

"A bit of trouble, Uncle Borin?" His niece enquired as she fetched the bowls.

He sighed again. "I never was able to get these things right. Your mother, bless her, used to do these for me."

The girl cleaned the bowls of any remnants of dirt or food from the night before, and she smiled thoughtfully. "Mother was able to do a lot of things."

"Aye," Borin nodded. "That's because elves are a lot sharper than dwarves. How my brother managed to sweep her off her feet, I will never know. He was as smart as a hog. Your mother was always making these darn lists, always so organized. If I had a single shilling for every time she hounded me about getting these lists together properly, I'd… well, I'd have all the gold in Erebor."

The two laughed to themselves and she excused herself, carrying the bowls back to the fire. Gimdar called for the caravan members to come and eat their supper, him ladling out the dinner into the bowls and Borin's niece handing them out. She ran to the wagon and back to the group, who sat about the fire, and sliced a loaf of bread she had bought for three silver pennies. After giving everyone a piece of the loaf, she sat down herself and ate. She listened quietly to the dwarves' conversations, laughing when they recollected stories of their youth and nodding to when they talked about where they were off to next. Her uncle wanted to head south to Stock, but Bondor wanted to go to Tuckborough. To her, it didn't matter where they went, as long as they would stop right near dusk and make camp, having a lovely dinner together.

She left her spot from the ground and collected the bowls, shushing the protests of the dwarves while she cleaned. She liked to help clean up; she didn't mind it, only liked to keep herself busy. The dwarves sat back, stuffing their pipes with herbs or pipe weed and lit them. As she cleaned the bowls, she listened to their stories, glancing up every now and then to see her uncle or another dwarf blow a circle of smoke into the orange and indigo sky.

A howl suddenly came from another hill, and all conversation and activity ceased. The howl was a cryptic, bone-chilling sound that made the hairs on their necks stand. The girl rose to her feet from the ground, looking out into the direction of where the howl came, eyes darting around the land while the others did the same. And then she saw it: a large, dark creature, larger than a wolf, stood at the top of the hill. With it was a rider from the likes she had never seen.

"It cannot be," Bondor breathed from behind. He looked towards the girl in front of them, an awful amount of dread running through him.

"What is that?" She asked with a frown. There came another terrible howl and suddenly more of its kind came to the hill with more creatures atop their backs.

"Orcs," Gimbar muttered.

"And Wargs," her uncle said, and then he looked to his niece with fear in his eyes. "Get to the wagon, Essie… _now_!"

She swallowed, gathering the bowls around her and rushing to the wagon. Another howl rang through the air, and when she turned her head, she saw the Orcs rushing to them, weapons raised high and menacingly. The dwarves rushed about, trying to tie the ponies to the wagons and taking whatever they could. It wasn't until she heard growling and howling so close that she knew that they were upon them.

It happened so quickly. She looked up to see an Orc, his twisted face and awful grin, bring up his mangled bow and shoot an arrow. With a terrified scream, she saw Bondor fall to the ground, arrow sticking right out of his chest.

"No!" She and the two other dwarves screamed.

She hid behind the wagon, watching the Orcs lay waste to her camp and strike Gimbar down with one of their axes. She cried and wailed, watching the light leave the friendly, old dwarf's eyes. Her heart pounded in her ears and the fear ate away at her. A hand suddenly came to her shoulder, and she jumped, but was soon relieved to see her uncle.

"Run, Essie," he told her. "Run!"

"No, not without you-" she cried.

"Hush child," he said, holding her shoulders. "They are here for you, lass."

She gave him a look of confusion. "Wh-what?"

A growl came from the side, and her eyes widened to see a Warg and its rider come towards them. She stood paralyzed from fear until her uncle pulled her along with him into a run. The Wargs came from all sides and the two dwarves found no means of escape; Borin dragged his niece along with him towards the ravine.

"What do they want from me?" she asked between breaths.

"A sibyl," her uncle said, coming to a stop. He unsheathed his sword and held it tightly in front of him and his niece. Borin had never used the sword that always hung at his belt; it was the first time it had been unsheathed in sixty years."You are want they want, Essie. They found you."

"Uncle, I don't understand-"

"Just don't let them get you," he said and turned around with sorrow in his eyes.

With those words and an angry cry, he charged towards one of the advancing Orcs and clashed his sword against theirs. The dwarrowdam watched with fear and cried, looking around for an escape of any sorts, but she and her uncle were surrounded by Wargs. She couldn't leave, though, and was rooted to her spot, wishing for her uncle to follow. He kept yelling for her to run or to jump down into the river below, but she couldn't, not without him.

A pained cry came from her uncle, and the girl watched with wide eyes as one of the Orcs, the leader she had assumed, pulled his twisted sword out from her uncle. The dwarf fell to his knees gasping, and she wailed, tears flowing down her cheeks. He fell face forward to the ground, and there was no sign of life coming from him. Her hands came to her mouth, stifling her wails and moans of shock and grief.

One of the Orcs turned on her without her notice, raising its bow and releasing an arrow. It cut through the air and she felt a sharp pain in her abdomen; her breath stopped and she looked down to see the dark wood embedded into her, feeling blood run beneath her dress. Her steps faltered, and she fell backwards, down into the ravine. Darkness took her before she hit the rushing water, and the Orcs watched as she was swept away with the current.


	2. Blue Eyes

**Hello, friends! Chapter two is here, yay! And I need to apologize because I have been sitting here cackling at how many of you are freaking out and saying "If the Orcs want her, then why is she wounded?!" YOU WILL UNDERSTAND IN DUE TIME. And thanks for the reviews guys! And thank you to the guest who commented on a mistake in my first chapter; you saved me! And two things:**

**1) I own an English-to-Khudzul dictionary. No, I'm not kidding. So, I'm using it in some scenes in the chapters.**

**2) I have just finished Chapter 11. What I'm doing is that in order to pace myself and stuff, I'm going to be at least 10-11 chapters ahead of each chapter I post. That way if I'm just too busy to write and stuff, I'll have a chapter ready so I won't stress out over deadlines and whatnot.**

**I DON'T OWN THE HOBBIT, BUT I DO OWN MY CHARACTER.**

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><p>"I'd advise that you don't touch that, Master Kili," Gandalf sternly said without turning around.<p>

The dwarf behind him took his hand back and stood up from his crouched position. He had a slight frown on his features.

"Why?"

"Because _that_ is hemlock. It could kill a man in an instant, and we don't want that on our hands now do we?"

Kili took a few sharp steps back, looking at the plant as if it were a rotting animal. Some feet behind him, the rest of the company sat on rocks smoking their pipes or filled their water-skins in the flowing creek nearby. The ponies grazed on the long, wet grasses along the creek; the hobbit was petting one of them, cooing incoherent things. The young dwarf had noticed that Bilbo strayed away from the company, apart from asking a question or two to Balin or Bofur. Kili couldn't help but pity him, for the hobbit looked and seemed to feel out of place .

Kili turned away from the deadly plant and sat under the shade of a tree. He placed the bow and quivers he had strapped to his back on the dirt floor, leaning against the bark that had been warmed by the afternoon sun. They had only stopped for a brief rest, stretching their legs after the discomfort of sitting on ponies for hours - well, for Bilbo and Balin at least.

"Kili," the voice of his brother met his ears and he looked up.

Fili walked the short distance to him and threw something towards the dark-haired dwarf. Kili caught it with an expert hand, taking a bite from what was the bread roll. He ripped a piece off and offered it to his brother who plopped down beside him.

"Our burglar will have quite a fit upon discovering his rolls missing," Kili smirked.

The blonde dwarf looked at him from the corner of his eye before returning his gaze to the other dwarves.

"He won't miss it that much."

Kili shook his head with a small smile and swallowed the rest of the bread roll. Even with the thought of their food eventually running out on their journey, it still didn't hinder his persistence to keep going. Surely, this would impress his uncle.

Well, maybe just a little.

It was only half a day into the journey and the young prince couldn't help but feel impatient. There was no action here, on the border of the Shire, and it was so quiet. Kili appreciated the peacefulness, but there was an energy running through him, begging him to get off his feet and explore or spend the time having target practice. Nothing kept him grounded in the moment and he was just so _bored_.

Fili, however, seemed content with the moment, shoulder to shoulder with his little brother and letting the light breeze cool his face from the heat of summer's day. He was the patient and more rational of the two brothers; one could simply look at them and know that they were night and day.

"On your feet," Thorin called, already setting off to mount his pony. "We shouldn't waste what is left of the day."

Kili was up first, offering a hand to pull the blond dwarf up with him. This wasn't exactly very exciting, he thought to himself as he and the others mounted their ponies, but at least they were moving once again. Daisy, his pony, neighed softly below him and the dwarf rubbed her neck with affection. Like Bilbo, he had a soft spot for the ponies. The more they had ventured east of the Shire, the more the woods around them had thickened. Despite the quiet of the woods, the company itself had carried the noise, much like a flock of geese did when they flew from winter's harsh winds across the sky. Balin and Dori conversed with each other some feet away while Thorin spoke quietly with the gray wizard. Behind him, Kili could hear Bilbo sneezing and muttering about horsehair and allergies and whatnot.

Craning his neck, he peered through the top of the trees to look at the blue sky. There were clouds, dark and steadily approaching the company. Kili shut his eyes and breathed in the air, his senses letting him know that rain was coming. As if reading his thoughts, Fili sighed beside him.

"It'll be pouring soon," said the blond dwarf, taking a glance at the darker haired dwarf before looking back up to the sky.

"Good," Kili ran his a hand over his jaw; his palm only met scruff instead of a beard that all the dwarves had. "It's about time we've had some rain."

Fili made a distasteful noise. "I'd prefer not to be soaking wet."

"Appreciate that it's not snow, Fee."

With another great sigh and the slight roll of his eyes, Fili reached over the short distance to shove his brother's shoulder. It wasn't enough to push him off his pony, but it made him grip the reins tighter. Kili turned away from the blond dwarf with a small smile and basked in what was left of the sun before it could be snuffed out by the clouds, letting it warm his face. He couldn't help but close his eyes again in comfort from the gentle rays. For once, the summer sun wasn't harsh and chose to be gracious on the first day of the journey. It wasn't long before the first few drops splashed onto Kili's nose, causing him to open his eyes to a darkened sky.

The few drops turned into many, lightly pelting the company, until those drops turned into a heavy shower. Many of the dwarves grumbled, pulling the hoods of their cloaks over their heads to shield themselves even if it was all to no avail. The rain had seeped through Kili's hood and dampened his scalp; it made him shiver, but it wasn't enough to bother him.

From up front he heard Dori say, "Here, Mr. Gandalf? Can't you do something about this deluge?"

"It is raining, master dwarf," Gandalf sighed, and Kili could feel his annoyance from feet away. "And it will continue to rain until the rain is done! If you wish to change the weather of the world, you should find yourself another wizard."

Kili snickered to himself when he saw Dori's face burn through the downpour. After the exchange, he heard the hobbit enquire about other the wizards that were in Middle Earth before their voices became nothing but mere hums in the background. The wind blew harshly across his wet face, chilling him instantly. Kili tried to blink the drops off his eyelashes and he started to resent his thoughts of a rain to cool the summer heat. It only seemed to make his skin frigid and his teeth chatter a bit. Rain was rare in the summer when the company had dwelled in Ered Luin; it had usually poured when it came to harvest time and when the leaves had started to change their colors. There was many a time when Kili had always wished for rain to cool the land during the heat, but when it did rain, he remembered how cold it'd be.

"What were you saying about the rain, dear brother?" Fili taunted beside him. The tips of his braids dripped, and when he spoke, water dripped into his mouth. Kili would've laughed had he not been drenched himself.

"Shut it," Kili grimaced, wiping his wet brow.

The ponies trotted through the mud and puddles, farther into the woods where the company could hear the rushing of water through the downpour. Soon enough they were walking beside it, the reeds and cattails waving through the wind. The rain had grown relentless and the dwarves were grumbling upon their ponies; Gandalf had remained quiet as well as Bilbo, apart from the hobbit's sniffles and sneezes.

The river had begun to grow closer to them as they walked along it. When Kili glanced at its speed and rushing water, it reminded him of the dark blue sheets that would wave in the wind when the dwarrowdams hung them to dry. The closer the dark-haired dwarf looked, the more he started to see the river threatening to spill over the river bank.

"The river," Kili called. "It may overflow."

Some of the dwarves looked to their side, and Balin had replied from ahead, "Aye, it'd be best to stray farther from it."

The company had reached a part of the bank where some feet away were rocks and a tall, crooked tree leaning over the rushing water. The grass had stopped growing feet away from the river's edge, and all there was was light, loose brown sand. The large rocks were few and littered the sides of the bank; but one object was different.

Kili squinted through the rain, wondering what had caught his attention. It lay half in the water and half in the mud, and Kili shuddered upon realizing that this was not any part of nature. The water and ground was stained with red and the young dwarf's grip tightened on the reins of his pony.

"Thorin!" Kili called, snapping the reins for his pony to ride up beside his uncle.

His uncle flashed him a look of concern at his nephew's sudden outburst. "What is it?"

The dark haired dwarf's gaze stayed at the river bank, his insides chilled as much as his wet skin.

"Someone's there."

The dwarves strained their eyes to see through the rain, and sure enough they could see a person along the riverbank.

"Master Kili is correct," Gandalf spoke, his bushy brows coming together in a frown. "Something is wrong."

The company had slowed their pace, and Thorin turned to nod at Dwalin at his side, as well as his nephews and Oin, their healer. The four rode their ponies ahead of the company, puddles and mud splashing about their hooves. Dwalin swung off his pony first and strode over to the person on the bank. The bald dwarf edged closer with caution, a deep frown decorating his rugged face. The dwarf brothers had followed close behind, Kili with balled fists and Fili with his hand set upon the hilt of his sword for precaution.

Oin brushed past the three towards the figure just as the company made it towards the small group, yet no one dismounted apart from Thorin and Gandalf. Oin knelt down; it was, indeed, just as Kili had said. It was a person. The person was faced down onto the earth, had wet hair so dark that it could've been mistaken for black. Its brown cloak a dark blue that had been stained red at the back as well as the ground beneath them. Oin reached for the shoulder and pulled the person to lie on their back, and him as well as a few other dwarves took an intake of breath.

"It's... It's a girl!" Dwalin respired, just as Oin had exclaimed, "A dwarrowdam!"

Stunned murmurs were exchanged in the background, for among the dwarven folk, while female dwarves had always been present, they weren't common. But still, it was a shock for the company to have one of their kind so far from the Iron Hills or Ered Luin lying presumably dead beside the river. However, the four dwarves and the wizard were closest to see the palpable difference this dwarrowdam had from others: she was hairless. Unlike the dwarrowdams the dwarves had ever seen or met, this one had no beard or thick facial hair beside her full head of hair and delicate eyebrows.

Unaware of his own movements, Kili inched closer and stood close behind their healer. His eyes traveled to her face, taking in the pale skin, pale as snow, her slightly pointed ears-which was strange to Kili- and high cheekbones. Had she not looked like death, Kili was sure that she would have a lovely blush upon her cheeks. The only thing that did stain her cheeks was blood and dirt and rainwater. The young dwarf had grown up seeing dwarrowdams with light or heavy hair, and had spent time with a dwarrowdam or two before he had left, but never in his years had he seen one like the dwarrowdam on the riverbank.

"Oh my..." The old dwarf muttered, and Kili flickered to where Oin's hands had hovered near her abdomen. An arrow was embedded into her flesh, where dried and fresh blood had stained the fabric of her dark green dress. The end had broken off and what was left stuck out.

Kili swallowed thickly before asking, "Is she...dead?"

Oin put two fingers to the girl's neck and frowned. The dwarves waited while the rain filled the silence until the healer pulled his hand away. Thorin had come to stand behind Oin, his face blank from any emotion.

"Well?" Fili had asked.

"She's alive," Oin said. "But just barely."

"What do you presume had happened?" Dwalin asked, arms crossed over his broad chest. His mouth was set in a grim line.

"An attack, perhaps," Gandalf had voice, leaning onto his staff. "She may have fallen into the river. Poor girl must have barely escaped the current and washed onto the bank."

The air felt heavy for a moment, each dwarf having visions of their own assumptions as to what had happened. Bilbo had exchanged a look with Bofur, whose usual chipper face was wrinkled with worry.

"Can't you do anything?" Kili turned to the old dwarf with a frown on his face. "She'll die if we leave her here. She will bleed to death."

"Aye, it is possible, but it may take some time. Days at most."

"We do not have days to waste," Thorin said. "We cannot waste time on her."

The dwarves looked at Thorin with slight bewilderment. It wasn't like the dwarf to brush away his own kin. The blond nephew frowned at his uncle and he took notice of the dark look set into his blue eyes.

"Uncle, we cannot leave her," Fili took a step towards his uncle.

"Have you not noticed?" Thorin turned to look at his nephew. He pointed to the unconscious girl at their feet. "Do you not see that she is a child of Mirkwood?"

The dwarves closest to the girl turned their gazes towards her. It was then that they had finally realized when their attention settled at the pendant at her neck. It was the symbol of the elves of Mirkwood. Kili had frowned, knowing the scorn his uncle had for the elves that had abandoned his kin so long ago; through the stories Thorin had told Fili and Kili when they were just boys, Kili had detested the elves. Now, though, when he looked at the dying girl, his animosity towards the elves wavered as his conscience had peaked.

"Still," Kili looked at Thorin in the eyes. "We cannot leave her to die."

Thorin's expression did not expose anything, and he only turned away and walked back to mount his pony.

"The boy is right, Thorin," Oin called from his place beside the girl.

"I will not have our journey forsaken for that of a Mirkwood child."

"You do not know for certain whether or not she is an offspring of an elf," Fili tried to reason with his uncle.

Thorin's dark look subsided into a glare. "Have you not seen her face, nephew? What of her ears, her lack of beard? She is not one of us."

Dwalin had let out a sigh and spoke up, "I agree with Thorin. One with elf blood, especially that of Mirkwood, has no place amongst us."

"But she is that of a dwarf as well," Gandalf intervened. "She may be the descendent of those you despise, but that does not mean you abandon your fellow dwarf to meet their last breath."

Thorin locked his jaw and, once again, the dark look passed through his features. He was silent for a moment, the eyes of his company passing between him, the wizard, and the girl by the river bank. His eyes met Kili's, and the young dwarf had a look of plead; his nephew was adamant on this, and he could not be surprised. The young, dark haired dwarf was one with a soft heart. Thorin had sighed eventually, and turned his attention to Oin.

"Bind her wound," he said, and then he turned to look at his dark haired nephew with a grim face. "I will not be held responsible if anything happens to the girl. She stays until she is healed. Until then, she is your responsibility. Is that understood?"

Kili nodded, relaxing his features at his uncle's approval. "Understood."

* * *

><p>The rain had stopped after a while, making way for a clear sky although the earth had still smelled damp. The ponies trotted through the forest, steering clear of the river until they had eventually lost sight of it. The sun had cast streaks of orange and pink across the sky as it had to set. Fireflies had sprung from behind their hiding places and fluttered around the company, and one had landed on Kili's wrist. He frowned and swatted it away, watching the insect hover around him and his pony before landing right on the shoulder of the girl lying in front of him.<p>

After Oin had pulled the arrow out and cleaned and binded her wound, the young woman had ultimately been placed under Kili's eye. She was cold. The moment Kili had lifted her into his arms, he was struck by how cold she was from the river water and loss of blood. Their unexpected addition had lead to her sharing Kili's pony. Her head rested against Daisy's neck, eyes closed and covered by the dark haired dwarf's cloak. Kili's arms held the reins around her as a rail to keep her from falling off. The whole time, she had not stirred nor shown any sign of waking; it had worried Kili and Oin. To reassure himself and the others that she was alive, Kili checked her breath and the pulse at her neck.

He swatted the firefly away, watching it fly away into the trees before turning his gaze back onto the path. The company had neared a rocky hill that was hidden by the trees just as the sun had nearly set; there was a cliff with a circle of rocks that looked over the hills and part of the forest.

Thorin had stopped and dismounted his pony, the others following his action. "We shall camp here tonight. Ori, find some wood so Gloin can make a fire."

Fili had swung off his pony and stood beside his brother's with his arms raised to take the unconscious girl, so that Kili could get down from his pony. The darker haired brother held his arms out, saying, "I'll take her."

"You've had her all day," Fili said. "Why don't you res-"

"It's fine." Kili rolled his eyes before taking the girl into his arms. Her head rolled onto his shoulder and he noticed that she wasn't as chilled as before.

The dwarves, Bilbo, and Gandalf had already sat on the earth around Gloin who was trying to start a fire. Oin had ushered Kili to a spot near the fire where a bed roll was already spread out for the girl.

"Easy, lad," Oin said as he held the girl's head while Kili carefully laid her down. The dwarf put a hand against her forehead and checked her pulse with the other. "Pulse is still weak, but better than before. However, she is getting warm; I suspect a fever may come unless I whip up a remedy of sorts."

"Will she be alright?" Kili had asked with a worried frown.

The old dwarf sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "Time will only tell."

Kili nodded, shooting the girl one last look before sitting near his brother against a large boulder. The company had sat conversing with one another or sitting silently as they waited for Bomber to make supper. Gandalf sat on a rock alone, smoking his pipe and looking deep in thought. The hobbit sat alone as well, seeing that he still felt rather awkward around the dwarves, particularly Thorin.

Bomber had served a supper of a hot beef and carrot stew, flavorful and rich. It would be wise to use whatever meat they had soon before it could rot. As Kili ate, he looked up from his bowl and across the crackling fire to where the girl still lay unawake. Out of conscience, he left his spot and asked Bombur for seconds. The large dwarf glanced over at the girl and back to the dwarf before him, shooting him a knowing smile and served Kili another bowl. Kili wrapped it in a cloth and hid the bowl under his bed roll for safe keeping.

Supper had left the company with satisfied smiles and warm bellies, and they retreated to either sleep or sit around the fire to smoke their pipes. Kili blew circles of smoke from his mouth and from the corner of his eye, he saw Bilbo feed an apple to his pony and coo to her. He smirked; the hobbit thought he was being rather sneaky when he really wasn't. The dwarf had put out his pipe before stuffing it back into his pack and leaning against the wall.

A strangled howl, very much like a scream, far from the camp had tore through the night, making the hobbit jump. He backed away from the ponies and towards Fili and Kili, who seemed to be the only ones awake besides Gandalf.

"What was that?" He had asked, worry laced within his voice.

Fili had exchanged a quick glance with his younger brother, and both smirked.

"Orcs," Kili had answered in a grave voice, and as quick as his answer came another terrible howl.

"Orcs?" The hobbit frowned.

"Throat-cutters," Fili said. Kili had watched with amusement and wanted very much to laugh at Bilbo's frightened face. "There'll be dozens of them out there. The lowlands are crawling with them."

"They strike in the wee small hours, when everyone's asleep," Kili looked Bilbo in the eye as he spoke. "Quick and quiet; no screams, just lots of blood."

As Bilbo turned away with a look of dread on his face, Kili and Fili looked at each other and laughed quietly to themselves. Kili couldn't stifle his laughter until a small, shaking voice, so quiet that it could've been mistaken for wind, tore him away from the moment.

"Please stop."

Kili's face fell as well as Fili's, and both brothers as well as Bilbo and Gandalf looked up and over to the small figure laying beside the fire. Kili rose and took a few hesitant steps forward.

"Are...are you awake?" Kili dared to ask.

There were a few sniffles, and the dwarf was sure that she wouldn't speak again until he heard, "The orcs...are the orcs here?"

He felt the others' eyes on him as he stepped around the fire and towards the girl. The closer he had gotten, the more he saw the girl shaking under the cloak. He knelt down and kept a safe amount of space between them. Her eyes were shut closed, but he could see the drops of unspilled tears gathered around her long eyelashes.

"No, no, there are no orcs here," Kili tried to reassure the girl who seemed to be frightened for her life by the way her voice had quivered before. "We...we were only trying to poke some fun-"

"You think that's funny?" All but the girl had turned their gazes up to see Thorin who was no longer asleep. Instead, he had a hard look on his face. "You think a night raid by orcs is a joke?"

Kili swallowed. "We didn't mean anything by it."

"No, you didn't," Thorin said darkly, before walking away to look off into the distance. "You know nothing of the world."

Balin had come towards Kili and Fili, hands behind his back, telling them to not take their uncle's words so hard and that it was just Thorin's deep animosity towards the orcs. The white bearded dwarf had went on about the Battle of Azanulbizar, catching the dwarves attention as one by one had woken up to listen, but Kili heard nothing. Instead, he had sat beside the girl who still shook and kept her eyes tightly shut. Sudden guilt had flooded him, and never knew how someone so scared could look so small.

He had leaned close for only her to hear his voice.

"I apologize," Kili said quietly. "If I had offended you or frightened you, that was not at all my intention. I apologize if I had caused you distress."

She sniffed in reply, and she had frowned. Kili sighed to himself, looking away and towards the dwarves who had stared in awe at his uncle once Balin had finished the tale. He realized that he had already left a terrible impression on the girl and it had only taken a few seconds. He was surprised to hear her quiet voice reply.

"Everything hurts," she whimpered, and Kili turned back with his brows scrunched together with worry.

"It's alright," Kili tried to reassure her. "We have a healer, I will fetch him."

Kili had risen from the ground and crossed the distance towards Oin, who was making his way back to his bed roll.

"She is awake," Kili wasted no time in telling him.

The old dwarf's brows rose in surprise as well as the others who were close enough to hear them. Not one of them had expected the dwarrowdam to wake up. Kili watched Oin head in the direction of the campfire and, with a sigh, the dark haired dwarf retreated to his brother's side. When Oin had reached the girl's side, Gandalf had retracted his hand from her forehead. He leaned heavily on his staff and blew out a puff of smoke from his pipe.

"I have temporarily rid her of the pain so that she may sleep comfortably," he said. "Unfortunately, when she wakes, it will prove to be difficult for her to sustain her equilibrium of health."

"Your assistance is appreciated, Mister Gandalf," Oin nodded towards him.

From below, her voice was barely more than a whisper. The wizard had never heard anyone so quiet.

"Thank...thank you..."

Gandalf smiled down at the girl who had finally opened her eyes and inclined his head. "You're very welcome, my dear. Sleep well."

The wizard had walked away after nodding to Oin so he, too, could rest. The old dwarf knelt down and gripped his listening horn to his ear; he doubted that he would be able to hear the girl now that he knew she was barely audible. From the pouch hanging on his side, he produced some vials.

"How do you feel, lass?"

She opened her eyes and frowned. "Not well, I'm afraid."

"Don't worry," he uncorked them and tapped dark red herbs into one vial and swirling it around. "This will help your recovery.

After a moment, she turned her head to look at the dwarf again. "Where am I?"

Oin flashed her glance and then back up to the vials. "Why, the company of Thorin Oakenshield, of course."

Her brows furrowed together and she nodded, closing her eyes again.

"Can you lift your head for a moment?" He asked as he flicked the contents of the vial. She gave him a small nod and lifted her head so that should drink whatever herbal remedy Oin had concocted. She grimaced and coughed.

"This should keep your fever at bay," he said and stood up. "Get some rest, lassie."

"Thank you," she told him.

* * *

><p>The dwarves were all asleep apart from Kili, who sat awake beside his snoring brother to take first watch. The summer air had cooled down because of the rain, making it comfortable to sleep. The crickets were chirping and the fireflies hovered in the trees. The fire cracked, emitting a soothing warmth around the camp that left everyone at peace.<p>

Kili was looking up at the sky, taking note of all the stars that shined and twinkled. They were rather lovely, he thought, and for a moment he wondered if these were the same stars he would gaze at from Ered Luin. It seemed that the stars were brighter than the ones from home, and Kili wanted nothing more than to climb up into a tree to get closer to the sky.

From a feet away, he caught sight of the girl turning carefully on her side with a pained look on her face. Careful not to wake his brother, Kili rose and relieved the bowl of stew from its hiding spot. He took quiet steps to cross the short distance, but she still heard him. Kili froze in his step when she looked at him, and he was struck by the color of her now open eyes.

Blue. The deepest blue he had ever seen. Darker than Fili's eyes, yet brighter than the night sky. It had pulled him in, and Kili admitted that they were, indeed, very lovely.

He cleared his throat and stepped forward with the bowl in hand. He sat on his knees before her, and tried to give her a warm smile.

"I'm afraid it is not hot anymore, " he said as he set the bowl beside her. "But you must be hungry."

Her gaze flickered between him and the stew before she uttered a quiet, "Thank you."

"Don't thank me," he couldn't help but chuckle quietly. "Thank Bombur."

Her lips turned up in a small smile before her face slowly fell. Her eyes left Kili's face and off towards the sky. A breath left his puffed cheeks and he made himself comfortable on the ground. Kili cleared his throat again and the dwarrowdam met his eyes again. A shiver ran down his spine; her eyes still struck the dwarf.

"How are you faring?" He asked.

She hesitated a moment, eyes moving across his face before settling on his eyes again. "The pain...it's bearable, but I feel faint..."

The dwarf prince chewed on the inside of his cheek, choosing his words carefully.

"I suppose it was because you had lost a lot blood; you barely escaped death."

Her forehead creased by her frown. She nodded, looking away towards the small fire. She looked deep in thought, and Kili had no doubt that she was reliving what had happened to her. He had enough sense and courtesy to not enquire about the events that lead to her wound, and thought it best to ask her later in a later time.

"What is your name?" Kili asked her abruptly. The shy look she gave him made the tips of his ears heat.

A silence had filled the air for a few moments before she had answered softly. She was so quiet that Kili barely understood.

"Estel."

Kili smirked a bit, and decided that he liked how her name sounded, although it was unfamiliar.

"Your name... I don't believe it is dwarvish," Kili said, and she, Estel, shook her head to confirm his observation. "I assume it is Elvish?"

She shot him a questioning look before he gestured to the pendant around her neck. "A symbol of the Mirkwood elves."

The girl, Estel, opened her mouth as if to say something, only to shut it and avert her gaze. Kili could see the unease wash over her and he sent her a reassuring smile. Kili had sensed her discomfort at the mentioning of the elves, and for a moment he pondered how she would've reacted when Thorin was speaking so ill towards them. She looked up at him that through her lashes and seemed to relax her shoulders.

"It means 'hope and trust'," she said.

Kili smiled kindly at her. "In Khuzdul, it'd be 'Karut'." She scrunched up her nose in distaste for the dwarvish version, and Kili couldn't help but chuckle. "But I think the Elvish translation sounds much better."

Kili's insides warmed when he heard the soft laugh that had fluttered from her lips. It was like the chimes his mother hung beside his window when he was just a babe.

"What do they call you?" Estel said to him.

"Kili," he answered her.

She nodded. "Kili," she repeated his name as if committing it to memory.

A snore from one the dwarves pulled Kili out of the small exchange between the two of them. With a sigh, Kili stood up and brushed the dirt off his breeches.

"I should finish my watch," he told her. "You must rest now."

She gave him one last nod, pulling the cloak closer to her. Kili smiled and gave her a small bow.

"Till tomorrow, Miss Estel," he said.

She returned his smile. "Till tomorrow."

He left her and walked around the fire to a rock that overlooked the forest after retrieving his bow from his still sleeping brother's side. He sat down, feeling a sudden warmth and he glanced at the young woman who was now asleep. His lips turned up and he huffed out a breath, shaking his head before looking back up at the sky.


	3. Comfort

**Hello, my friends! I'm glad that a lot of you are liking the fic so far; makes me all happy! I know, Thorin is such an asshole, when will he ever set aside his qualms with the elves? Oh well... Anyway, I switched the scenes when they're in the rain and when they make camp at the cliff because I wanted it to set the mood in the story and such. Hope you enjoy this chapter, and THANK YOU for the reviews :) Keep them coming!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hobbit. I own Estel.**

* * *

><p>Estel had woken up to a terrible, sharp pain, and she flung her eyes open as a pained whimper escaped her lips. Her head began to throb and a wave of uncomfortable heat swept over her. Her ears were filled with talking and the banging of a few pots, and her vision had cleared to see the old dwarf from the night before and the kind wizard above her.<p>

"Apologies, lass," Oin had said, and he had taken his hands back from her abdomen. "Didn't mean to startle you."

She frowned and another wave of sickness flooded her. She swallowed thickly and clenched her teeth, the pain becoming an insistent stabbing. Estel couldn't remember anything as horrific as the pain she was in, at least not physically. It felt like the weight of a huge boulder crushing her and all she could do was lay there. Sweat had glistened her forehead as the torridity of her skin left her flushed. Oin had set the back of his hand against her forehead, pulling away with a look of worry implanted on his face.

"Her fever has risen," he said to the bearded wizard. "I fear it may get worse at this rate."

The old man let out a sigh, and knelt down beside the girl, putting a large, wrinkled hand against her cheek. Estel felt something tingle, expecting whatever he had did for her the night before to take effect, but nothing had happened. She still felt quite ill.

"Strange…" he muttered.

"What is it, Gandalf?" Oin asked quickly.

"Not a drop of my magic will lower her pain or that fever of hers," Gandalf frowned. "Strange, it had worked last night."

"What does this mean?"

The urgency of his voice had caught the attention of dwarves around them. Thorin, too, had craned his head away from the sword he was sharpening and listened. Kili, standing some feet away with Bofor and Bilbo, frowned and glanced from Estel's paling face to the wizard.

"This wound," He said. "Show it to me."

Oin hesitated a moment before moving to remove the cloak off her small frame. Estel had watched with scared eyes after listening to the worry in Gandalf's voice. Oin had been kind enough to only tear a hole wide enough in her dress for him to tend to the wound, wrapping the dressing around her waist and keeping her decent. Carefully, he unwrapped it until the wound had been exposed to the air and the dwarf's eyes widened in apprehension.

"As I thought," Gandalf had said.

Estel couldn't bear to look at what had the dwarf and wizard so troubled. The place where the arrow had pierced her had turned the surrounding skin a dark, festering black. The area was the size of a fist and had spidery veins of darkness branching out. There was no doubt that it would spread over her torso.

"Who attacked you?" Gandalf asked the girl, whose fever left cold chills run through her.

Estel frowned, averting her gaze as her lip began to quiver. She could feel the emotion run through her when her mind took her back to the day before, the screams and fear paralyzing her.

"My dear girl, we must know," Gandalf told her. The persistent yet calm voice and forced her eyes back to him.

Her throat moved when she swallowed and in a shaking voice, she answered, "The Orcs... they attacked my caravan…"

Stunned murmurs were exchanged between the company and Estel looked past Gandalf to see that Kili's face contort with concern and his dark eyes burned with enmity upon hearing the name of the vile creatures.

"I see," Gandalf had let his palm hover over her wound, his brows furrowed. "This arrow that had pierced you was laced with something dark."

"Poison?" Oin suggested. "Perhaps it was nightshade?"

Gandalf shook his head. "No... I fear it may be a dark, dark magic. But how this came by the Orcs, is the question."

Thorin had stepped forward and Estel had unconsciously shrunk under the cloak, feeling unsettled by his cold, hard features.

"What business do the Orcs have with you?" He asked. "What would they want with a half-breed?"

"Uncle..." Kili stepped forward.

Estel had turned her face away from his gaze, chewing her bottom lip. The intensity of his stare burned holes into her skin. Gandalf cleared his throat and shot the dwarf king a stern look.

"Now, Thorin, we know not if she was a target-"

"Orcs may be relentless monsters, but they always have a purpose," Thorin snapped, and diverted his attention back to the dark haired girl before him. "Now, I ask you again. Why would the Orcs attack your caravan?"

Estel's eyes glistened with unshed tears, and she closed her eyes. No matter how many intakes of air she took, she could not rid the feeling of despair and dread within her.

"I...I cannot tell you," she murmured.

This angered Thorin greatly, and he took a step closer to her saying, "I demand to know why-"

"I urge you to stop, Thorin," Gandalf said as he rose from the ground, placing himself between the dwarf and the sick girl. "This is not the time nor place for such matters. What does matter, at the moment, is aiding the young lady."

He sent a hard look to the dwarf and the company watched the two stare each other down. With a huff, Thorin turned away, calling out, "We head out now. I will not lose this light of day."

Gandalf watched the stubborn dwarf walk away and he couldn't help but sigh. The heir to Erebor was hard headed, impulsive, and so keen on keeping the blood of Estel in mind. Gandalf could not help but feel hopeless in coaxing the dwarf king into being kinder as well having an open minded. The dwarf, however, had other priorities than opening up his heart to misfits.

"What will happen to me?" Gandalf pulled his eyes away from Thorin's back and down to Estel's tear-filled eyes. Her voice had quivered and he knew not if was because of her fever or the fear of an immediate death.

He tried to offer her a kind, reassuring smile as he knelt back down and set a hand atop her head of dark hair. "Do not worry. You will recover in time. For now, I am afraid there is nothing I can do to lessen the pain. I can, however, keep you asleep for some hours."

Her face fell and she sniffed, blinking away the tears. At last she nodded, choosing to trust the gray wizard, seeing that she had no other choice. Estel, with Gandalf standing at her side, watched the dwarves pack their bed rolls and stamped out the remainder of the burning embers. They had readied the ponies and Kili had come to stop at Estel side.

"You have been riding with me," he said. "I trust that is all right?"

Estel had given him a nod, not bothered by the information. She couldn't explain why she felt no threat from the dwarf, and she had much rather preferred to ride with him. Was it his kind eyes or soft features, she did not know.

She let Kili place his hands on her waist and above her elbow, his grip gentle yet firm as he lifted her from the ground. She gritted her teeth and gripped the dwarf's shoulders, trying not to double over. Discomfort had flashed across her pale face, and it was clearly evident how much it pained her to move. Kili had reached down and gripped the back of her legs as he swept Estel off the ground, and she took a startled intake of breath. The dark-haired girl knew she would have blushed at his suddenness, but she was too tired and weak to have reacted, and simply rested her head against his shoulder.

He carried her to his pony, feeling the gazes of some dwarves following him as he carefully had Estel mounted at the front before swinging on top behind her. Even through the layers of clothing, Kili could feel the heat radiating off of her; the closer he looked, he could see sweat beading at her hairline. She rested against his chest with her eyes closed, even though she was awake.

Gandalf appeared at the pony's side, and Estel rolled her head to gaze up at him. He gave her a friendly smile before passing his hand over her head, and her face slacked and her body relaxed against Kili. She was fast asleep.

"Watch her, Kili," Gandalf told him with a stern.

Kili retorted with a smirk on his face, "I won't let Estel fall off."

The wizard cocked a bushy brow. "Estel?"

"That is her name. You didn't know?"

Gandalf had an unidentifiable look in his eye and Kili couldn't tell what was stirring in the wizard's mind. Gandalf let out a little huff and a small smile and walked away to mount his horse.

_Hope and trust_, the wizard thought to himself.

* * *

><p>Estel had shown no signs of getting better, causing Kili to worry. As their ponies trotted through the forest, the dwarrowdam had gone a shade paler and had chills running through her. Despite her unconscious state, she had a look of discomfort. Kili's cloak could not keep her warm and no matter how many times Oin would place a wet cloth upon her forehead, her skin would still be on fire. Fili would sometimes have the girl riding with him to let his brother have a short break, even if the dark-haired dwarf protested. The older brother noticed the frown on Kili's face when he pulled Estel onto his pony, and it was clearly obvious that Kili had grown protective and concerned.<p>

When they had stopped for a brief rest, Gandalf had approached the sleeping girl. All knew that the girl wouldn't have much time left, even though the wizard, the healer and the young brothers wouldn't admit it to themselves. It just seemed that death was all too real if they had. Oin had run out of options; no herbal remedy could heal something so dark. The others had expected Gandalf to lose hope as well, but the wizard had a trick up his sleeve, one that he wasn't quite sure would work.

They had her lay under the shade of a tree, and Kili thought she looked so small beneath his cloak. Oin was wiping her brow with a wet rag when the wizard approached him. He had knelt beside the girl and the healer watched with curious eyes and had not uttered a word. Gandalf had placed his hand against Estel's abdomen, closing his eyes as his brows came together in concentration. He had muttered under his breath, a chant, and his voice slowly grew louder and the dwarves and the hobbit had craned their heads to watch. Kili moved to take a closer look but Fili held him back to give Gandalf room.

The wizard looked pale as he pulled away, but the color returned to his face after a few moments. Fili had finally released his brother's arm and Kili was by Oin's side. He peered over his shoulder to see that Estel did not look as sickly as before, and her breathing seemed to be easier.

"What did you do?" Kili turned to Gandalf.

Gandalf brought his eyes from Estel to the young dwarf. "I simply shared the darkness within her," he said as if it were so common. "I gave her energy."

"I thought that you could not use magic?" Kili furrowed his brows.

"A wizard always has a trick or two up his sleeve," Gandalf merely said. "And I may add that I _gave_ her energy, not magic."

"But what about you, Gandalf?" Oin frowned. "You will become ill; what if it manifests within you?" The wizard waved his hand, "I am fine; light magic will always surpass darkness. Now we must move on from this place."

Gandalf steadied himself upon his staff, wobbling a bit, and returned to his horse. Kili and Oin shared a look before Kili lifted her off the grass and back to his pony. Her fever had come down some, and, although her face still looked a bit pained, her pale cheeks were glowing with a pale pink. Kili was relieved as the company rode on, and thanked Mahal that there was still hope for the dwarrowdam.

The forest had thinned somewhat and the sun shined over the trees. The air had cooled some, blowing through the leaves and Kili's hair. He spit out the strands that got caught in his mouth and pulled his cloak up to Estel's neck. He shifted his eyes from the path down to her sleeping face; her dark hair lightly blew around and reach up to tickle his chin. He brought a hand to brush her hair down and framed her face; his hand had lingered until her expression shifted and she stirred. Kili quickly pulled his hand away and held onto the reign again. His face flushed and Estel carefully opened her eyes. She blinked the weariness away and groaned.

Kili thought it best to speak up, "How do you feel?"

She stiffened up in surprise and looked up at him. She frowned, sighing and craning her head to look around the forest before back to Kili. "Tired."

"And your wound?"

"The pain has lessened, but…" she trailed off and her brows furrowed in confusion. Kili sent her a questioning look before answering again. "I do not understand…"

Kili seemed to realize what she meant. "Gandalf had shared the dark magic that makes you so ill. With some hope, it may give you more time."

She nodded, closing her eyes once more and resting her head back against Kili's lower chest. The dwarf had thought her asleep again before she quietly asked him a question.

"How long till the sun sets?" Her quiet voice met his ears.

Kili looked up to the sky, catching a glimpse of the sun through the tree branches. The light blue had growing streaks of orange. "Soon."

She had a thoughtful look on her face as she nodded. She breathed in and released it slowly, closing her eyes again. Her shoulders and muscles relaxed against Kili, and he could feel her heat and breath. A strange feeling had warmed his belly, spreading over him and up to the back of his neck. He tried to focus on the path, but his gaze would trail over to her face. Her dark hair framed her face and a light sweat made her pale skin glisten; he noticed that she had the longest eyelashes he'd ever seen, reminding him of butterflies.

"I feel so very tired," she murmured.

Kili's lips turned up in a smirk. "Reasonably so. You can go back to sleep if you want to."

She shook her head, eyes still shut. "No... No, I've slept this whole day..."

"I think it'd be best if you do, to be honest," he said. "You should rest."

"We'll be stopping soon, though." Estel opened her eyes, and Kili noticed that they were red from weariness, framed by the dark circles under her eyes.

Kili sighed. "When we make camp, you are to rest."

Her smile was small and she nodded. Instead of closing of her eyes, she kept them open and watched the scenery pass by. Kili watched Estel's eyes move about slowly, taking in the dwarves, lingering for a moment on Bilbo. It must've been odd to see the hobbit with a company of dwarves. She moved on to the trees and the ponies, accidentally catching Fili's eyes. The blond dwarf smiled and gave her a nod of his head. Estel's face burned and she shrunk shyly into Kili; the younger brother would've chuckled had she not been pressed against him. The girl, he noticed, seemed to be shy as a fawn. Apart from Oin and Gandalf, and Kili himself, of course, she seemed to feel comfortable.

They had approached a small piece of green land, surrounded by the thicket of the trees; the ruins of a barn made a shadow over the expanse. At the head of the company, Thorin slowed his pony to a stop and got off. The rest of the dwarves followed suit; Fili hopped down from his pony and went around to help Estel down. Fili offered her a warm smile and his hand to take.

"Fili," he said. "At your service."

Estel looked to Kili who simply nodded his head; she turned back to the blond dwarf and hesitantly took his hand as he carefully set her on her feet. Her knees nearly buckled and she gripped the dwarf's forearms, gritting her teeth. Kili had jumped down from Daisy and immediately took her from his brother.

"Can you stand?" He said.

She bit her tongue, shifting her weight to her left side away from the wound. After a moment, she nodded, holding onto Kili's shoulder.

"Are you able to walk?" Fili asked from beside her. She looked up at the dwarf and then to the ground, taking a slow, careful step; once she did, however, her knees had almost given out from the pain of moving. Even though Gandalf had aided her, Estel was still terribly weak.

"Here," Kili had scooped her up in his arms like he had done earlier before they had left. She held tight to his neck, heart jumping. Kili sensed her discomfort as she held tight to him. "Relax, I won't drop you."

Her eyes searched his face, and found it in her to trust him, loosening her arms, but keeping them around his neck in case he tripped or some other scenario met her fall. He carried her over to where the company stretched out their legs and set their belongings and supplies down. Kili gave set her down carefully onto the ground, crouching beside her to keep her up. Oin had placed a pack behind her to keep her steady. Estel sent a grateful smile to the two dwarves and let her muscles relax.

"We'll camp here for the night," Thorin had called out. "Fili, Kili, look after the ponies. Make sure you stay with them."

The brothers nodded. Fili walked off to herd the ponies to graze in the forest, Kili turning to follow only to pause and shoot Estel a smile.

"Rest well," he said before catching up with Fili.

Gandalf had wandered around the ruins of the farmhouse, a deep frown set on his face. He pushed a stone over with his foot and said, "A farmer and his family used to live here."

Thorin had ignored the wizard, calling out to Oin and Gloin to start a fire for the night. The wizard had continued on, "I think it would be wiser to move on. We could make for the Hidden Valley."

The leader of the company turned to Gandalf with a cold look on his face. "I have told you already, I will not go near that place," he spat out.

"Why not? The elves could help us," the gray haired man protested, waving his hand about to make his point. "We could get food, rest, advice. That girl is in need of help and healing."

"I do not need their advice," Thorin said, before getting close and adding through locked teeth, "And that girl will die soon. You and I both know it. She has no chance."

Gandalf glared at the dwarf's words, shaking his head at his arrogance. He pushed the words spoken of the girl's fate aside before speaking again. "We have a map that we cannot read. Lord Elrond could help us..."

While Oin cleaned her wound and changed the dressings, Estel quietly watched the dwarf and wizard argue. She was suddenly nervous upon seeing the dark look that had flashed across Thorin's eyes. In fact, all had dropped what they were doing to watch the two bicker.

Gandalf had stormed away from Thorin and grumbled under his breath, his stride making his robes billow out behind him. Bilbo had taken a few steps forward, forehead wrinkled in worry.

"Everything alright?" The hobbit asked. "Gandalf, where are you going?"

"To seek the company of the only one around here who's got any sense," the wizard replied.

"Who's that?"

"Myself, Mr. Baggins! I've had enough of dwarves for one day."

And with that, Gandalf walked away angrily and disappeared into the forest. Estel's lips turned down in a frown and worry had laced with her exhaustion. She only hoped for the kind wizard to return soon. Thorin had bitterly demanded Bombur to start making supper and he, too, stomped off. The air around them was so thick that it was possible for it to be sliced with a knife.

Bilbo asked Balin if their wizard would return, and the white haired dwarf only shrugged. Like Estel, Bilbo also hoped that Gandalf would come back soon.


	4. Watch the Ponies

**Hello! Thank you all for your reviews; your feedback is proof for me to continue on with this story. Hope you enjoy this chapter, and if you're all interested, check out my Winter Soldier fic! Thank you! :)**

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><p>Night had fallen and Gandalf still had yet to return. The crickets chirped and the stars began to shine one by one as did the moon. Estel had fallen asleep for sometime after the wizard's sudden leave, only to had been woken up by the bumbling and bustling by the company members. She was afraid to open her eyes at the thought of catching the eyes of a dwarf who wasn't Oin, Fili, and Kili. The dwarves intimidated her, especially Thorin and Dwalin, being burly and rugged without so much as letting a smile creep up onto their faces. The hobbit fellow, however, seemed rather kind and timid; timid as she was, actually, or perhaps less so.<p>

A wonderful, rich smell wafted into the night air, travelling around Estel and tickling her nose. She decided to open her eyes a fraction, letting her eyelashes shield her pupils. In front of her was the crackling fire, and over that was a cauldron. For a moment she wondered where in Middle Earth they had found a cauldron that large; she certainly didn't remember the dwarves carrying that on their ponies. Then again, she didn't remember very much of her journey so far. Estel opened her eyes the rest of the way, blinking away all the sleep and lazily trailing her gaze about her surroundings.

"You're awake," a rather chipper voice said from above. "It's about time!"

Estel looked up from the fire to see one of the dwarves holding some wooden bowls in his hands. He wore a strange floppy hat, and he had a kind smile. She sensed that he wouldn't be one to give her a cold shoulder, but she still was hesitant and seemed to shrink under his bright gaze.

"You must be hungry," he said, and handed her a bowl of some steaming broth. "Here."

She carefully sat up, minding her wound. Her eyes shifted from his hand to his face; the dwarf looked her with the utmost amiableness, telling her that he only had good intentions. Estel eventually took the warm bowl from him. "Thank you..."

"Bofur," he grinned before nodding his head; she still had yet to learn all their names. "At your service. Now you just eat your supper, and I'll be right back."

She watched him return to the cauldron and a rather large, redheaded dwarf reached for the ladle. Bofur swatted his hand away and told him that he had enough as Bilbo approached them with a glum face. The hobbit pointed out to the hatted dwarf that Gandalf had been gone for a while.

Bofur gave him a reassuring smile. "He's a wizard! He does as he chooses," he said and handed the hobbit two bowls of soup. "Here, do us a favor: take this to the lads."

With a sigh, Bilbo walked into the forest to give the two brothers their dinner. It occurred to Estel that she may not see them till morning; a sinking feeling in her stomach made her frown.

Bofur sat down beside her with his own bowl. "You're not eating?"

She had forgotten the bowl resting on her lap and took up a spoonful. The warmth of the soup went down her throat, and she sighed contentedly. It had been a while since she had last ate. She quietly finished her supper beside Bofur until the bowl lay empty in her lap.

"Thank you," she said softly.

He smiled and pulled out his pipe. "Glad you enjoyed it."

He pinched some pipe weed from a small, leather pouch and stuffed it into the end of his pipe. He lit the end with a flaming twig from the fire, breathing in from one end. After blowing smoke out from his nostrils, he turned his head to the young dwarrowdam.

"Now, I'm afraid I don't know your name."

"Estel," she replied.

"Estel," Bofur nodded. "Lovely name." He breathed another lungful from his pipe. "I see our Kili has taken to you, Miss Estel."

Her cheeks tinged with a light pink and she looked down at her hands. "He is kind to me... and I greatly appreciate his concern. And please, Estel is fine."

Bofur smiled. "How do you feel now?"

"Alright, I suppose," she replied. "But the wound still hurts. It makes it hard to move, but Oin is trying his best although I am very undeserving of your company's help."

"Now, don't you say that," Bofur said. "We wouldn't leave any of our kin to suffer."

"Some would think otherwise..." she trailed off and her eyes were somewhere else.

Bofur followed her gaze to see Thorin and Dwalin as well as a few other warrior dwarves. He understood now, and the hatted dwarf sighed.

"Don't you mind them," he said. "They just let their prejudices cloud their heads. I'm sure that if they get to know you, they'll come to like you."

"Your leader has made his opinion of my heritage very clear. And you've only just started to talk to me-"

"And I already like you!" Bofur gave her a toothy smile. "We dwarves are stubborn, but that don't mean they won't learn. Whether you have elf blood or horns on your head, that does not mean you are something to be shunned."

Estel only gaped at him. Her eyes became glossy and she looked towards the crackling fire. "Thank you, Bofur. You are very kind."

"Don't thank me, lass."

He blew rings of smoke into the night air. They conversed lightly, and Bofur pointed and named every dwarf in their company. When he had told her who Thorin really was, she was amazed.

"So it is true, then?" She asked.

"What is?" The dwarf said.

"The heir of Durin travels to take back Erebor, to reclaim his throne."

Bofur nodded. "Aye, it's true. He sought out those to travel with him, to give us a home once more."

Estel chewed the inside of her cheek, taking a short glance at Thorin again. To her, she thought, he looked like royalty, the way he walked and talked. She could see how the dwarves admired him, but to her it seemed that he was missing something. She couldn't exactly say what it was that made him lack the image of a king, but it was missing.

"Word has traveled of your company's quest," Estel told him. "It had reached my caravan. My uncle thought it foolish and a dwarf's death wish to think of such things, but for myself... I think you all very brave, but the risks..."

"I understand your fears, lass, but most of us were all warriors at one point," Bofur said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "We will succeed and bring home our kin-"

Suddenly there was loud rustling from the woods. All heads turned toward the noise, and a few of the dwarves had unsheathed their swords. Estel's heart jumped at the sight of the bushes and branches shaking until the two company had come running out.

Fili and Kili were short of breath when they reached the camp, and Thorin had crossed the space to his nephews.

"I thought you two were looking after the ponies," he said. "What are you two doing back here?"

"Trolls," Kili said urgently. "They... They took the ponies!"

Thorin was about to scold the two brothers, but thought better of it when he realized the trolls were a bigger threat at the moment.

"Where's Bilbo?" Ori called.

The two brothers looked at the other with grim looks on their faces. "We told him to help the ponies before we ran back to get you," Fili said.

"You sent a Halfling to do a dwarf's task?" Dwalin said.

"We weren't really thinking..." Kili admitted.

"You never think," Thorin shook his head before heading towards the woods. "Come on, you lot!"

Kili looked after his uncle with a look of hurt on his face; Fili put a hand on his brother's shoulder before following their uncle. All the dwarves left their spots except for Bofur. His worry seeped through his face and Estel knew it was because of the hobbit. Even she was beside herself.

"Go, Bofur," she said, watching the last of the dwarves run to help Bilbo and the ponies. "They need your help."

He cast her an apprehensive look. "But what about you? I can't just leave you!"

"I'll be fine," she told him. "Now please _go_."

He gave her one last look, trusting her to take care of herself, before running off. She was alone with the fire as her company. The crickets never stopped their chirping and the wind blew lightly. Estel couldn't shake the worry off her; she hoped that the dwarves were safe, that the hobbit was safe. Mahal, she even hoped that Thorin was safe.

It would've been a good time for Gandalf to be with them, and she couldn't help but feel angry at the wizard for leaving the camp. She sighed, knowing that it wasn't her place to be angry; she had only been travelling with Thorin's company for a day. If anything she had burdened them, and now that she knew of their motives for the journey, she thought that she was slowing them down.

Estel's head turned sharply towards the woods when she heard yells and shouts, and knew that it was the dwarves. She didn't know if they were captured or getting eaten one by one; the thought made her ill. She trusted Bofur when he said that most of them were experienced warriors, but she remembered that they were up against trolls. Unless the Valar were on their side, the company did not stand a chance.

She shut her eyes, trying to hold in her tears. She was worried; she was alone at the camp and she was very, very afraid. All she could think about was whether or not the dwarves or Gandalf would return, if she would ever see Oin, Bofur, or Kili again. Kili's smiling face clouded her mind, and her stomach sank at the thought of the young dwarf meeting his end at the bottom of a troll's stomach. The fear of being alone taunted the young dwarrowdam so much that she could not bear it.

With a great sigh and a small, miniscule amount of courage latching onto her thoughts, Estel tried to get onto her feet. It was hard for her, considering that she barely had any strength in her limbs. She inhaled a breath, and tried to stand fully on her own shaking legs before taking a step. She nearly fell, but regained her balance. The wound at her side screamed for her to stop, but Estel continued on, walking towards the forest. She held onto the trunks and low branches of trees that were closest to her, pushing off them to move as fast as she could.

The yells were closer, and she followed them, soon spotting an orange glow through the thick leaves and branches. She could hear a string of curses in Khuzdul, and Estel knew that she had found them. She traveled a few more feet before a terrible stench met her nose; she tried not to gag and covered her nose. Through the branches, a large revolting creature bounded in front of the fire, and Estel quickly shielded herself behind a tree. It was a troll, she realized. Her heart pounded, and she swallowed thickly. The wound was on fire and she felt tired and delirious.

There came several of the dwarves shouting and Estel had swallowed several breaths of air. She carefully craned her neck around the tree to her left, seeing a few of the dwarves tied onto a spit over a fire. Two of the trolls turned the spit slowly and one had reached for Bomber. Her eyes wandered to the rest of the dwarves, who were tied in sacks; her eyes widened upon seeing Kili and Fili yelling in anger.

"Kili... Fili," she breathed. "Oh, no..."

Her attention was drawn back when Bilbo had stood up in his sack and claimed that the dwarves were riddled with parasites. The dwarves started to shout and yell at the poor hobbit.

"Parasites, did he say parasites?" Oin exclaimed.

"We don't have parasites," Kili cried out in fury. " You have parasites!"

Estel watched as the rest of the dwarves chimed and called Bilbo a fool. Estel would have laughed had she not been so afraid. It was clear to her that he was trying to buy them time, and she looked over to see Thorin deliver a swift kick to one of the dwarves. They all became silent, realizing Bilbo's intentions before they all started to claim that they had parasites.

"I've got parasites as big as my arm," Oin said.

Kili began to exaggerate and yelled, "Mine are the biggest parasites! I've got huge parasites!"

"We're riddled," Nori cried while his brothers agreed.

Estel used the moment to come closer to the group, keeping herself hidden behind the bushes. While two of the trolls were utterly disgusted, one of them looked unconvinced.

"What would you have us do, then?" One of the trolls said. "Let 'em all go?"

Bilbo pursed his lips, before giving a helpless shrug. "Well..."

Estel peered over the top of the bushes, heart beating quickly as she watched. Bilbo was visibly shaking, and the dwarves still pulled against their restraints.

"You think I don't know what you're up to?" The troll said angrily. "This little ferret is taking us for fools!"

The troll went to reach for Bilbo, who was so afraid that he couldn't move. Estel had gasped to herself, her mind going blank as she moved up from her spot. Her whole body protested in pain, yet she ignored it, running into the light of the fire and pushing Bilbo out of the way. The troll's hand closed around her.

"Estel, no!" Someone had yelled from behind. Fili or Kili, she was unsure, but it didn't matter; she was in pain.

"What are you doing, lass?" Oin cried.

She was lifted off the ground and the terrible, wretched breath of the troll almost made her faint. "What do we have here?"

"A she-dwarf?" One of them asked.

Estel pushed as hard she could against the troll's grip, but she was still held tight in its hand. An overwhelming amount of panic flooded her, and she was aware of the dwarves cries to let her go.

"Can we eat her?" A troll asked.

"No!" Kili-Estel was sure-yelled angrily. "Don't you touch her!"

"She looks a bit off, don't you think?" One of the trolls said. "Maybe she has parasites, too."

"Let them go," Estel's voice shook. "Please, don't eat them..."

"It talks!" The troll grinned mockingly.

"I beg of you," Estel said as she was close to tears. "Let them go!"

"I don't know about the looks of her " the troll at the spit said. "Looks sickly and thin. I'd dispose of her, if I was you."

"Gladly," the troll who held her said.

His grip tightened around her and he squeezed her torso. A scream scrambled out of her throat and there came shouts of anger from everywhere. It felt like her eyes and organs were going to pop right of her, and the wound reopened. She could feel blood running down her abdomen, and she was on the verge of passing out. From below, she was aware of Kili's angry cries and the dwarves yelling and begging for the trolls to release her.

Her pained screams echoed around the camp and deafened her ears while the troll tried to squeeze her to death. Estel's body was on fire and she couldn't breathe. After a moment she quieted down and just gritted her teeth. Over the troll's shoulder, she could barely see light peeking through the trees. Suddenly, a robed figure ran up along the border and Estel felt her heart jump at the sight of the wizard.

"The dawn will take you all!" Gandalf had bellowed and all attention was drawn to him.

"Who's that?" The troll holding Estel said.

"No idea," one of them replied.

"Can we eat him too?" The other asked.

Gandalf struck the rock with his staff, splitting it in half, and allowing the sunlight behind it to pour into the clearing. The trolls screamed and howled in pained as the sunlight shined onto their skin. The troll released Estel, who dropped to the ground with a pained groan. All the air was pushed out of her lungs and she struggled to breath as she watched the trolls. They began turning into stone amidst their loud, awful screams and howls of pain.

After a few moments, the company stared at the three stone statues of what were the trolls. They cheered with relief, but then all seemed to remember that Estel lay on the ground in pain. The dwarves on the spit still looked uncomfortable as well.

"Oh, get your foot out of my back!" Dwalin groaned.

"Get us down!" Dori shouted, face completely red from facing the low flames for so long.

The dwarves went about untying each other while Gandalf climbed down the rock to help the dwarves. Fili had helped Kili out of the sack and the dark-haired dwarf pushed himself out his brother's way to run to Estel.

He hit the ground on his knees and reached for her shoulders. Her eyes were closed and he was aware of the blood that seeped through the dressing on her wound.

"Estel? Estel, wake up!" He cried.

Her eyes fluttered open, and relief flooded her to see the that the dwarf was alright. "Kili..."

"Estel," he sighed with relief. "Oh, you foolish girl! What were you thinking? You could've gotten yourself killed."

She tried to breath in, but sputtered and coughed. Kili frowned and pulled her into his lap and off the ground. Some of the dwarves, upon freeing themselves, crowded around the two young dwarves' sides.

"I thought I could help," she whimpered. "You were all in trouble... I couldn't just let you all die."

"Oh, lass, we know you mean well," Bofur sighed. "But you wouldn't have been able to have done anything."

"You would've been crushed to nothing," Kili said with a frown.

Bilbo had walked up to them with a look of guilt and mixed relief. "But she saved me, though."

"I wasn't... I didn't..." Estel mumbled.

"You pushed me out of the way," Bilbo said. "You may not have helped this lot, but you did push me out of the way."

The dwarves glanced between the hobbit and the girl before nodding in agreement.

"He's right," Ori spoke up.

Estel couldn't help but blush and she tried to hide her face in her hair. "I just wanted to help."

"And now that you did," Oin pushed past the dwarves and hobbit to kneel before her side. "You've gotten yourself hurt and I must see to your wound."

The dwarves took this as a sign to pack up their things and left Estel in the care of Kili and Oin. The healer peeled back the dressing to see that the wound had, indeed, reopened and was bleeding. Kili inhaled a breath when he looked at the surrounding skin; the area had grown darker and the black veins branched out farther on her skin. Estel swallowed thickly and turned her head away to see Gandalf and Thorin talking quietly.

She could hear Thorin ask, "Where did you go to, if I may ask?"

Gandalf knocked his staff against the stone troll and replied, "To look ahead."

"What brought you back?"

"Looking behind. Nasty business. Still, they are all in one piece."

"No thanks to your burglar and the girl," Thorin muttered bitterly.

"He had the nous to play for time. None of the rest of you thought of that. And as for the girl, she tried her best to help, even though you think ill of her."

Estel let out a quiet sigh. Oin had applied a salve to the wound and wrapped her in clean, new dressings from his pouch. Kili sat her up with his hand against her back. One look at her, and he knew that she was in pain; he could see it in her eyes as she tried her best to keep a straight face. She looked as if she was going to burst into tears in any moment.

Oin had left the two to pack up his own things and help the other dwarves take a share of what they had the ponies carry. The journey ahead with no ponies was going to be a long and tiring. Kili hadn't dared to leave Estel behind and so he stayed.

"Do you want to sit under the tree?" He asked her.

Estel shook her head. "I'm fine here."

"I'd rather you not be under the shade of trolls, who, may I add, tried to kill us all."

"Really, Kili," Estel sighed. "I'm fine here. It's... peaceful."

"Estel, the tree is only three feet away," Kili said. He studied her for a moment and she looked away, twisting her hands in her lap. He sighed, nodding to himself as he realized. "It hurts, doesn't it?"

Estel looked up at Kili with watery eyes before she nodded and began to sniffle. "It hurts everywhere. I'm afraid to move."

Kili was about to reply to her until Thorin had spoken over the dwarves.

"The trolls must have come from a cave nearby," he said. "We'll search the area until we find it."

The company had packed up and were ready to set out. Fili handed his brother's pack and they both stood over Estel. Kili offered his hand.

"Come on, Estel," the dark haired dwarf said.

"Kili, I will only slow you down," she frowned.

"Well, we don't intend to leave you here," Fili said. "You're coming with us."

"I'm not-"

"Yes, you are," Kili gave her a pointed look. "You're coming with us whether you like it or not."

Estel looked at the two brothers sadly, and she sighed to herself. She avoided their gazes and looked at their feet instead. She wiped her sleeve across her eyes and then stared out into the forest, feeling utterly hopeless. She had no idea what she was getting into and she wasn't sure if they fully understood what was going to happen to her sooner or later.

"I might die, you know," she said, and every word of hers was laced with sadness. "I might die from a dark magic which will soon reach my heart, and you two are wasting valuable time to reach the Lonely Mountain, all because you want to carry dead weight."

"Estel, stop-" Kili said and he lowered himself on his knees to reach her eye level. "There is still hope for you. And if you think for one moment that you are hindering this company, then you must be a very stupid girl."

Estel frowned. "Stupid?"

"Yes, stupid," Kili said. "And I know you're not, but you are if you think you should stay here."

"You're one of us," Fili added. "You proved that."

"I will carry you if I have to," Kili told her, and she knew he was serious by the look in his dark eyes.

She sighed and nodded, knowing that there was no way out of this. Kili shoved off his pack and quiver of arrows and bow, telling Fili to hold them. He turned his back to Estel and crouched low enough for her.

"Get on," he said.

"Wh-what?" Estel stuttered.

"Are you really willing to have this conversation again?" Fili quirked his brow.

She frowned and looked back to Kili. She moved to press herself against his back and wrap her arms around his neck. He carefully rose up to his height, and put his hands under her knees and shifted her up so that her chin rested atop his shoulder.

"Comfortable?" Kili looked at Estel over his shoulder.

"Not really."

"Too late," Fili laughed, and walked ahead the company. "The journey has already started!"


End file.
